Tag Archives: arty

Living in Nashville is both a curse and a blessing for people making dance music. The curse is, of course, the overwhelming focus on country music and the traditions associated with it. The blessing is a plethora of singers and songwriters looking for a break and willing to experiment. Nashville is a songwriting town, so if you are a producer who makes a great track, finding a singer to write a topline is just an ad on a bulletin board away. Sylvane is the more upfront/aggressive pseudonym of Lenny B, who is better known for making commercial remixes. On “Light Me Up,” he flips the focus of progressive house. Whereas tracks by Zedd and Avicii are normally passive, meaning they that play in the background with a mellow energy, this track uses a lot of the familiar stadium/progressive sounds but transforms them into something energetic and aggressive with electro, but not a standard soundalike festival banger track. While you can hear a hint of country in Sweet Melissa’s strong vocals (especially in the last syllable of each line), the lyrics take the track from club to radio-friendly pop. Both remixes are similar to the original but manage to focus on a different flavor (or influence of another producer). If you are wondering what an Arty remix would sound like, check out Dennis Pederson’s mix, and if you are a fan of Walden, then Jus Jack & Oza’s will be your mix of choice.

Dutch electro duo Sick Individuals try their hand at pop success. Known for banging electro tracks (Spear, Shock, Rock & Rave), this new song “Wasting Moonlight” comes out of nowhere. It sounds like a Foxes record as produced by Arty or Tydi, pretty “progressive” house with memorable uplifting lyrics and a big chorus. While not earth-shattering or groundbreaking, it is quite good and could easily be a crossover dance and pop hit. I wonder what it would sound like if they remixed themselves and turned it into the aggressive banger that they normally create.

If you are looking for a big room electro jam, this isn’t for you. If you are in the mood for a sexy, groovy, and soulful dance pop jam, then “Love Sublime” may just be up your alley. Tensnake catapulted from the underground- well, slowly rose is a more apt description, on the strength of his well respected leftfield disco productions as well as his buzz record “Comacat” that grew to become a cult record. Teaming up with Nile Rodgers must have been a dream come true for him, and the results capture that magic. “Love Sublime” is neither a disco record nor an ’80s R&B dance record, It’s a timeless soulful dance record that sounds like it could have been on the Breakin’ soundtrack just as well as an 808 State EP. If you listen closely and dissect it, you will hear so many elements all going at the same time, yet there is a seamless simplicity and raw groove that makes it feel so smooth. Listening to the vocals of Fiora, I am wondering if it is the same singer from the Armada camp who sang on “Take Me Away/Grand Finale” with Arty and “Waiting for the Night” with Armin van Buuren, just because she sounds so different singing in a new range and style of EDM. Remixers Le Youth, Duke Dumont, and Ewan Pearson couldn’t have been more perfectly chosen. If perchance you missed it, dig up Tensnake’s last single with Fiora “See Right Through,” as we await his forthcoming Glow album.